Rafter Sex Death Cassette

As a longtime producer, solo artist, and member of Sufjan Stevens' entourage, Rafter Roberts has kept a pretty low profile. Sex Death Cassette, his second solo record, will hopefully change this. Blanketing weird-pop gems in a wash of hazy production, Sex Death Cassette brings to mind summer vacations and afternoon naps. At 35 minutes, the record’s 19 tracks twist and turn between heartfelt serenades (“I Love You Most of All”), fuzzed-out pseudo-reggae (“LoveTimeNowPlease”), and progressive indie rock (“Chances”). Despite its disparity of genre, however, the songs are all united by Rafter’s incredible production skills, which alone are worth the price.